Building of the Month February 2023: 1 High Street, Weobley, Herefordshire HR4 8SL
On the high street of Weobley in Herefordshire sit two 17th-century timber-framed houses. They contain rendered infill and are partly underbuilt in painted brick, under a slate roof. It was possible that the building was originally jettied, but various alterations from the early 19th century and late 19th century have distorted the original form. The front elevation contains two interesting doorways, one containing a pilastered wooden frame and a moulded cornice. The other has fluted pilasters and a panelled door.
The two buildings were listed grade II (LEN: 1081904) in 1953, and no. 2 has been well looked after. No. 1, however, is in a bad state of repair and is in need of proper restorative work. Vegetation is growing up the rear of the property, as well as flaking render and paint on the end gable. It appears that the original wooden door lintel has also been removed at some point, revealing brickwork underneath. The timber framing as well as the casement windows have lost their paintwork, revealing bare wood underneath that is open to the elements. As an important listed building in the centre of this historic town, the building needs sympathetic intervention to halt any further deterioration.
